Title : Axions: Current Bounds and Discovery opportunities
Speaker: Prof. Alessandro Mirizzi (INFN, Bari and Bari U., Italy)
Time: 10:00AM, July 12, Wednesday
Place: Seminar Room 312, Library Building
Abstract: Very light axion-like particles (ALPs) with a two-photon vertex are predicted
in many extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. Depending on the actual
value of their mass, ALPs can play an important role in cosmology, acting as cold dark
matter. The coupling with photons allows for ALP-photon mixing in external electromagnetic
fields. This effect is exploited for direct searches of ALPs in laboratory experiments.
The two-photon vertex would also induce the mixing with ALPs for photons emitted by distant
astrophysical sources, and propagating in the large-scale cosmic magnetic fields. This mixing
could produce signatures in astrophysical observations, ranging from the cosmic microwave
background to the high-energy gamma-rays. In this talk I will present an overview of current
bounds on ALPs and discovery opportunities in the planned laboratory and astrophysical
experiments.
